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Any U fellers ever snag Paddlefish?

fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
edited September 2010 in General Discussion
I think i'd like to try that.
I have snagged * or Roe mullet and a few Gators over the years but, i don't think i've ever even fished where their are paddle fish.Feller on TV was callin them Spoon Bills too.
Real Dinosaur looking fish.. Their fishing in "Grand Lake" Ok. I believe.Looks like their a pretty good fight, of course most foul hooked fish do seem to fight well.
Are they good to eat?
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Comments

  • knucklehead14knucklehead14 Member Posts: 2,278 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I lucked out at Lake Erie this summer and snagged a 25" walleye in the top of his back while I was trolling for walleye. I thought I had a giant sheephead because of the way it was fighting and much to my surprise it was a walleye!
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  • SCOUT5SCOUT5 Member Posts: 16,181 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have snagged them by accident when sauger fishing on the Ohio river. Powerful fish, and with the current you can have a time, especially with a spinning rod spooled with 8-10lb line.

    We have a season on them here and tight limits as they are easy to snag in the spring when the move up below the dams to spawn. The DNR does stings from time to time because of the "black market" for illegal paddle fish eggs. The fish is in the surgeon family and the eggs are sold as caviar.

    They are good eating and fairly easy to clean. They do not have a skeletal system like most fish. Skin them, gut them and you can cut fish steaks cross grain to the length, no need to fillet. You can grill these.

    It is not something I have cooked a lot of as I havn't targeted them only caught one here and there while sauger fishing. I'm sure someone else can help more than I with recipes.

    There is a market for raising these on fish farms as both the eggs and the flesh can be sold.
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  • fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    Ok. has a prog. where they take the fish U catch and tag.They clean them FOR YOU BUT,,,THEY KEEP THE $125 per pound roe!!
    THE ROE CAN ONLY be purchased as caviar,THROUGH OK. Fish N Game...WHAT A DEAD BEAT!! They say, that's how they pay for the cleaning and research program...At $125 a lb, I bet their making a BOAT LOAD of $$$$!!
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  • bambihunterbambihunter Member Posts: 10,792 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Neosho and Spring River arms of the Grand Lake extending on into Kansas is some of the best paddlefishing in the area. OK changed some of the laws this year and I think blocked some of the more productive areas this year because of declining population. Most people in Oklahoma go to the "Twin Bridges" area for paddlefish, which if I remember correctly is basically where these two rivers converge into Grand Lake.

    Just across into Kansas on the Neosho River there is a small town of Chetopa and they have the first dam the fish encounter coming up from the lake to spawn. They pool up there by the thousands. However, so do the fishermen and it gets absolutely crazy there with people flinging 6-10 foot long poles with heavy weights. It is a lot of fun.
    Fanatic collector of the 10mm auto.
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  • savage170savage170 Member Posts: 37,569 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    When I lived in Missouri use to snag them on lake of the Ozarks
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  • realspeedrealspeed Member Posts: 6,335
    edited November -1
    it looks cool, but its illegal to snag here and paddlefish have to be returned to the water unharmed lol.... double whammy
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